DuckDuckGo or DuckDuckNo? (You'll be Shocked at My Answer)

Exactly what you need to know about DuckDuckGo Browser

This might surprise you but DuckDuckGo is not my go-to browser choice.

Just kidding…

I think it’s pretty obvious by my choice to strategically leave out DDG when mentioning browsers in my posts.

It doesn’t make my top 3…and barely makes my top 5 however…

A lot of you have asked about it.

And I get it—DuckDuckGo is probably the first tool most people turn to when they start caring about privacy and making moves away from the grip of Google.

It’s user friendly. It feels safe. It markets itself as the “privacy browser.”
And for a while, it was not on my radar.

But I’ve gotten enough DMs and reader replies asking:

"How does DuckDuckGo stack up against what you’ve been saying lately?"
"Is it actually private?"
"If I’m using it, what should I be doing differently?"

So I went back to give it a second look. This post is for you.

I’m not here to trash DDG.
I’m here to tell you exactly what it does well (which actually is a lot), where it falls short, and how to use it without a false sense of security.

I’ll cover:

• The good: what DuckDuckGo’s browser gets right

• The not-so-good: what it misses, limits, and still quietly collects

• Settings almost no one talks about (but you should change today)

• Why DDG is a great starting point—but not where you want to stop

• And finally: how it compares to what I actually use (Brave for simplicity, Vivaldi for control)

If you’ve been following along with my content, you know privacy is never just about switching tools—it’s a whole mindset shift.

And yeah, sometimes it can feel overwhelming.

If that’s you, I’ve been building something in the background I think you’ll want to see.

I’ll reveal more on that later in this post.

But first—let’s talk about DuckDuckGo.

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What DuckDuckGo Gets Right (Updated)

Let’s start with the positives—because there are some.

DuckDuckGo isn’t a scam. It’s not fake privacy (although I will cover some important short-comings later). And if you’re using it instead of Chrome, Edge or Safari, you’re already taking steps ahead of the average person.

Here’s where the Duck actually delivers:

No Search History Stored

DuckDuckGo doesn’t store your search history or tie it to an account.
No behavioral profiling. No tracking cookies. No creepy ad retargeting.

This is a great start, and in my opinion one of the biggest selling points.

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Built-In Tracker Blocking (Browser + App)

The DuckDuckGo browser blocks most major third-party trackers—like Google Analytics, Meta pixels, and ad network cookies.
It’s not the most aggressive on the market, but it’s far better than default browsers.

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App Tracking Protection (Android Only)

If you’re on Android, this feature is solid.

It blocks trackers from other apps on your phone, even ones running in the background.

Think of it like a lightweight firewall (metaphorically, this is NOT an actual firewall) that watches what your apps are doing when you're not.

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Privacy Pro: Real VPN + Data Removal + ID Protection

This is newer and deserves more attention:

DuckDuckGo’s Privacy Pro (paid plan) includes:

• A full-featured VPN (based on WireGuard) that encrypts all device traffic, not just browser traffic. This an important distinction.

• A data broker removal service to opt you out of major people-search sites

• Identity theft restoration support if your data gets compromised

While these services are ok I have another service which is better quality. If you’d like to know more about it, leave me a comment below.

It’s a solid bundle if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution—and the VPN is real, not just a proxy or browser tunnel.

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Simple, Familiar UI

You get a Google-like experience without most of the surveillance concerns.
It’s clean, fast, and easy to use—great for people easing into privacy tools for the first time.

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Better Than the Default

DuckDuckGo is a legit step up from Google, Safari, or Edge.
It’s what I call a gateway browser—a tool that gets you thinking about privacy, even if you eventually (hopefully) graduate to something more powerful.

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Where DuckDuckGo Falls Short (And Why It Matters)

Let’s be clear: DuckDuckGo does more for your privacy than Google ever will. (Not that the bar is very high)

But that doesn’t mean it’s airtight.

Here’s what most people don’t realize about the Duck—and why I don’t personally use it as my main browser.

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It Still Relies on Microsoft (Bing) for Results

DuckDuckGo doesn’t have its own search index.
It pulls most of its results from Microsoft’s Bing—and that matters more than you think.

Back in 2022, it came out that DuckDuckGo’s browser allowed Microsoft trackers on certain sites.
Yes, they fixed it after backlash—but it exposed something important:
If your search engine depends on Big Tech, your privacy will always rely on the philosophy of the underlying company.

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It's Not Open Source (The Browser, That Is)

DuckDuckGo's desktop browser isn't fully open source. (Although the mobile app is)

That means the code that runs it can’t be fully audited by the public. You’re taking them at their word.

Compare that to something like Brave, which is fully open-source and regularly audited by security researchers.

Trust is good.
Transparency is better.

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No Real Fingerprinting Protection

DuckDuckGo does a decent job blocking trackers.
But it doesn’t go far enough (in my opinion) when it comes to browser fingerprinting—the technique websites use to identify you based on your device, fonts, screen size, time zone, and more.

Brave blocks this by default.
DuckDuckGo? Not so much.

So even if they’re not storing your searches, you can still be uniquely identified as you move across the web.

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The Built-In "Fire Button" Doesn’t Erase Everything

DDG loves to market their “Fire” button—tap it and it wipes your tabs, history, and cookies.

But here’s the thing they fail to tell you:

• It only clears browser-local data

• It doesn’t scrub DNS requests, cached tracking pixels, or cross-site scripts stored elsewhere

It feels secure.
But it’s not the clean wipe most people think it is.

That probably seems like Greek to some of you, but its a very important miss.

You know who won’t miss that? The cyber criminal that might be inside your network. (More on network security later in the post)

📌Pro Tip: When working online I often talk about the data that is covertly taken from under your nose but what about the data you create, save and send?

If you are creating documents, content or any other pieces of data online you need to make sure you have a solid plan for backup and recovery.

Download my free Backup and Data Recovery Checklist

Privacy Settings in DuckDuckGo No One Talks About (But You Should Know About)

If you’re sticking with DuckDuckGo for now, that’s fine. (Even if I don’t agree)
But don’t assume it’s fully secure just because it says “Privacy” on the label.

Here’s a few tips to dial it in properly.

Turn on App Tracking Protection (Android Only)

Where to find it: Settings → App Tracking Protection → Enable

This feature blocks third-party trackers from other apps on your phone, not just your browser.

You’d be shocked how many times apps try to ping Meta, Google, or data brokers while you’re doing nothing.

Turn it on and let it run in the background.

Customize What the “Fire Button” Actually Deletes

Where to find it: Settings → Fireproofing → Fireproofing exceptions

By default, DuckDuckGo keeps certain cookies so you don’t get logged out of sites every time you clear tabs.

That’s convenient—but it’s also how persistent tracking happens.

Disable fireproofing for everything unless you absolutely need it (like your bank or encrypted email).

Force HTTPS on All Sites

Where to find it: Settings → Privacy → Enforce HTTPS

This should be on by default, but double-check it.
It forces sites to load securely whenever possible, which prevents man-in-the-middle attacks and some forms of passive tracking.

Disable Site Fireproofing Suggestions

Where to find it: Settings → Privacy → Show Fireproofing Suggestion → Off

DDG will try to “help” by suggesting you fireproof frequently visited sites.
This gets annoying fast—and worse, it normalizes tracking.

Turn it off. You don’t need the prompt.
You’ll be more deliberate about what data stays on your device.

Bonus: Strip Query Parameters on Redirects (Advanced Users)

DuckDuckGo removes a lot of common tracking query strings, but it doesn’t catch everything.

If you’re on desktop, use uBlock Origin and enable advanced filters like:

• EasyPrivacy

• AdGuard URL Tracking Protection

• DuckDuckGo Tracker Radar (yes, even DDG has one)

You’ll catch a lot more fingerprinting attempts this way—even inside their browser.

Real Quick: Want more quick wins? Join my free 5-day email mini-course and get actionable privacy tips to delete those bad habits that are putting you at risk. Start Here today —> 5-day Privacy Reset

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Who DuckDuckGo Is Actually Good For

If you’re using DuckDuckGo right now, you’re not doing anything wrong.

Maybe you aren’t using it right now, and after reading this post you’re considering it.

Either way you do need to know what kind of tool you’re using—because not everyone needs the same level of protection.

DuckDuckGo is great if:

• You’re just starting to care about privacy and want something simple

• You’re switching away from Chrome or Safari and want a familiar experience

• You don’t want to tinker with advanced settings or install 10 different extensions

• You’re not at high risk (journalists, activists, whistleblowers, etc.)

• You mostly browse on mobile and want fast tracker blocking with a clean UI

It’s a beginner-friendly privacy tool.
And that’s not a bad thing.

But it’s not great if:

• You want full transparency (the browser is still not fully open source)

• You care about fingerprinting protection

• You want to reduce your exposure to Big Tech (DDG still leans on Microsoft)

• You need advanced privacy behavior like Tor-level obfuscation or independent indexing

• You want to control every aspect of your browser’s privacy behavior

In short:
DuckDuckGo is a privacy-branded browser.
It’s better than most—but it shouldn’t be the endgame.

If you’re looking for something more powerful:

• Use Brave for strong defaults, anti-fingerprinting, and independent search—all with minimal setup

• Or go with Vivaldi if you want deep customization and advanced control over your browser’s behavior

Those are the two I personally use and will probably stick to.
DuckDuckGo gets you started in your privacy focused journey but Brave and Vivaldi will take you the rest of the way.

Want to know more about these browsers and why I trust them? Check out this post:

Vivaldi Vs. Brave (My Honest Opinion After 2 Weeks)

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If This Felt Like a Lot… You’re Not Alone

By now, you’ve probably realized something:

Privacy isn’t just about picking a different browser.
It’s about changing the way you move online—and that’s a lot to take on alone.

That’s why I’ve been quietly building something new behind the scenes.

It’s called the Digital Detox Clinic.

It’s not an overview.
It’s not a bunch of “tech tips.”

It’s a guided roadmap to empower people who are tired of trying to piece their privacy together one post, one app, one browser setting at a time.

Its the system I’ve used with clients unfortunately after they have been a victim. Personally it’s allowed me to maintain an identity theft protection score of 98 out of 100, most protected from BreachIQ.

The roadmap looks like this.

Where you are now → Find your brokered data across the internet → How to remove that data → How to effectively opt-out of data brokers → How to clean up your social media (this is super important) → How to stop future leaks → Build a sustainable system to make real change long-term

If you’re reading this and thinking “Yeah, that’s me” — you’re exactly who I made it for.

👉 The waitlist is now open.
You’ll get early access + insider-only pricing before it goes public.

Join here —> Join The Waitlist

Now… if you're ready to take a real step right now…

Here’s your next step

Your browser is just one piece of the puzzle.

If your home network is wide open, your devices are outdated, and you don’t know how data brokers are tracking you—changing browsers won’t save you.

You need my No BS Guide to Securing Your Network.

You’ll learn:

• Building a Strong Foundation: Learn how to choose the right router, configure it securely, and set up WPA3 encryption.

• Fortifying Your Defenses: Discover the power of firewalls, antivirus tools, and data encryption to keep hackers out.

• Mastering IoT Security: Protect your smart devices like cameras, thermostats, and speakers with best practices for managing passwords, updates, and permissions.

• Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance: Stay ahead of threats with practical checklists, monitoring tools, and long-term habits to maintain security.

This is the actual system I’ve personally used to protect my network, my families network, and my clients network.

Just a plain-English, field-tested guide for real people who want enterprise level security in their home network. The best part is you do not need to be a PHD in computer science to follow and implement it.

👉 Grab the No BS Guide here

You can have peace of mind by the end of the day.

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What About You?

Have you been using DuckDuckGo?
If so, what’s your experience been like?

Are you planning to stick with it—or has this post pushed you to explore something else?

And if you’ve already made the switch to Brave, Vivaldi, or something more advanced, what finally convinced you?

Drop your thoughts below.
Your take might be the exact nudge someone else needs to finally make a smarter move.

And if this post cleared up something for you, restack it—not for me, but for the people in your network who still think the duck means they’re untouchable.

Let’s help more people stop trusting the label and start asking better questions.

I hope this post has cleared things up for my faithful readers who are using the Duck. Thank you all for you continued support. If you have any questions about todays post or have suggestions about a future topic let me know, I am dedicated to continue to bring you all the most value.

Until next time…

Stay Informed. Stay Secure. Stay Curious